BEIJING — Keir Starmer wants to take the U.K. deeper into the European Union single market — if Brussels will let him.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to China, the British prime minister said he wanted to “go further” in aligning with the European market where it is “in our national interest.”

In May last year Starmer effectively agreed to take the U.K. back into Brussels’ orbit in two sectors: agriculture and electricity.

Those agreements, which are currently being finalized, will see the U.K. follow relevant EU regulations — in exchange for more seamless market access.

Seemingly buoyed by a positive reception and a smaller than anticipated Brexiteer backlash, Starmer is now doubling down.

“I think the relationship with the EU and every summit should be iterative. We should be seeking to go further,” the prime minister told reporters.

“And I think there are other areas in the single market where we should look to see whether we can’t make more progress. That will depend on our discussions and what we think is in our national interest.

“But what I’m indicating here is — I do think we can go further.”

The comments are a significant rhetorical shift for the Labour leader, whose 2024 election manifesto promised that “there will be no return to the single market” — as well as the customs union or free movement.

While the Labour government has softened on the single market in office, it has arguably hardened on the customs union.

Starmer told reporters that “the place to look is the single market, rather than the customs union,” arguing that joining the latter would require unpicking trade deals struck under Britain’s newly independent trade policy.

Going Swiss?

While EU officials say they are always open to concrete U.K. proposals, rejoining the single market sector-by-sector might not be entirely straightforward.

Brussels agreed to British access for agriculture and electricity in part because of pressure from European industry, which will arguably benefit from the new arrangements as much as the British side.

But the dynamic is different in other sectors, where some European firms have been able to thrive at the expense of their locked-out British competitors.

There will also be debates in Brussels about where the bloc should draw the line in granting single market access to a country that does not accept the free movement of people — a requirement other states like Norway and Switzerland must respect.

Officials are also wary that the EU-U.K. relationship may come to resemble the worst aspects of the Swiss one, a complicated mess of agreements which is subject to endless renegotiation and widely disliked in Brussels.

Chemical attraction

The prime minister would not elaborate on which sectors the U.K. should seek agreements with the EU on, stating only that “we’re negotiating with the EU as we go into the next summit.”

British officials say that for now they are focused on negotiating the agreements promised at last May’s meeting.

One senior business representative in Brussels, granted anonymity because their role does not authorize them to speak publicly, said alignment in sectors including chemicals, cosmetics, and medical devices could be advantageous to businesses on both sides of the English Channel.

As well as the agreements on electricity and agriculture, the U.K. and EU last May agreed a security agreement to cooperate more closely on defense, and to link their emissions trading systems to exempt each other from their respective carbon border taxes.

They also agreed to establish a youth mobility scheme, which will see young people get visas to live abroad for a limited period.

Starmer reiterated the U.K.’s position that “there has got to be a cap” on the number of people who can take advantage of the scheme and “there has got to be a duration agreed.”

“And it will be a visa-led scheme. All of our schemes are similar to that. We are negotiating,” he added.

Dan Bloom reported from Beijing. Jon Stone reported from Brussels.